Jackson Baumeister
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| Photo: MiLB.com |
Bio:
Age: 21
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 224 lbs.
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida
Draft Profile: 2nd round CB-B, 63rd pick of the 2023 draft by Baltimore Orioles
Drafted Out of: Florida State University
Career Stat Line: 43.0 IP 1-1 W/L 1.88 ERA 53:29 K:BB .185 AVG. 1.33 WHIP
Back to the Orioles farm we go, taking a look in at RHP Jackson Baumeister, the highest pitcher esteemed General Manager Mike Elias has ever taken in the MLB Draft.
Baumeister grew up in the suburbs of Jacksonville, Florida, beginning to play baseball at the ripe age of two-- much to the pleasure of his parents, high school baseball and softball players in their own respects (igtnext). His personal love for the game blossomed from that point, committing most of his available time to practicing his craft, while developing the necessary routine to excel at it.
Jackson's efforts led him to The Bolles School, a local private school that's produced MLB stars such as Chipper Jones and Rick Wilkins (Bolles). After three seasons of instruction from the Bolles coaching staff, the freshman found himself at the Mike Martin Baseball Camp at Florida State University, a summer camp that Baumeister had attended for years (Igtnext).
This time was different though, as the school officially offered him a scholarship at the conclusion of camp. Jackson was thrilled to commit to the college his father attended, accepting the offer without second thought.
The future Seminole went into his second campaign of prep ball energized, en route to an absolutely dominant display. The righty posted a 7-1 record on the bump with a spotless 0.00 ERA (MaxPreps). His one loss came in the regional finals to Suwanee, a disappointing ending the Bulldogs push for an FHSAA title.
Then came COVID, cancelling half of the kid's 11th grade season and temporarily quelling that momentum. But he was right back to work as a senior, going 9-2 overall with a 0.63 ERA and an eye-popping 145:20 K:BB rate over 77.1 IP (Jacksonville.com). His efforts earned him the honor of Northeast Florida Player of the Year, as well as being named a Perfect Game All-American.
Unfortunately, a 2-1 semifinal defeat at the hands of The First Academy would officially end his career at Bolles.
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| Photo: Julia Bonavita/Special to the Times Union |
But Tallahassee was waiting for the tall right hander! However, the transition to ACC baseball was not without some growing pains. Baumeister finished his freshman season with a 1-2 record overall, making 17 of his 19 appearances out of the bullpen. In 27.1 total innings, he'd post a 5.60 ERA and a K:BB ratio just above 2:1 (Baseball Reference).
After a summer of Cape Cod ball for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, Jackson entered his second collegiate stint ready to establish himself in the Florida State rotation. The sophomore started 14 out of 15 games for the 'Noles, finishing 5-5 with 12.4 K/9. He got hit a little more regularly by opposing batters, but lowered his ERA by 1/2 a point. Not world-beating numbers, but good enough to earn third-team All-ACC honors (Seminoles.com).
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| Photo: Ben McKeown/AP |
Then came the 2023 MLB Draft. Despite pretty middle-of-the-pack numbers, Baumeister projected positively as a future starter and began creeping up draft boards as the big day approached. His landing spot was truly a mystery though.
One that was solved by the Orioles, who came calling with the 63rd pick, a competitive balance pick at the end of the second round (WTXL). Baltimore's front office liked the repertoire and projectability Jackson possessed, putting their money where their mouth was with a $1.6 million dollar signing bonus to sway him from returning to FSU for his junior year (Baltimore Sun).
The numbers worked out and Baumeister was officially a professional baseball player. We wouldn't see him out on the diamond for the Birds during the short season, but that didn't stop Elias from having his highest selected pitcher forgo Class-A ball to begin his career in A+ Aberdeen.
It's a risk that's paid off thus far for all parties. Jackson's been excellent for the Ironbirds, going 1-1 in 11 starts with a paltry 1.88 ERA (MiLB.com). A few too many walks, if we're being picky, but he's been tough to hit, as evidenced by his .185 batting average against. Given his age and pedigree, don't be surprised if he's up in AA sooner than later.
In the meantime though, he'll be on the mound tonight against Joseph Montalvo and the Hickory Crawdads. If you're in the Aberdeen area, make sure to hustle to the stadium to catch this exciting prospect's 12th career start.
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@Choppinglines
*I own no rights to any images found in this blog
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